Amid Naxal crisis, home minister holidays in US! YOUR SAY

May 28, 2013 17:55 IST

While the country grapples with brutal the Naxal attack on Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is MIA (missing in action). He is currently holidaying in the United States.

Shinde left New Delhi on May 19 to attend the Indo-US Homeland Security dialogue. Post the bilateral meetings, which ended on May 22, he extended his stay. He is not cutting short his visit and his expected to return home on May 29, sources said.

Except Shinde, all other members of the Indian delegation who went to the US to take part the meetings, have returned.

Home Ministry spokesperson K S Dhatwalia said there was no extension of the programme. He did not divulge in any information of Shinde’s schedule after May 22.

Shinde has once again left the home ministry red-faced. Minister of State for Home RPN Singh said on Tuesday, "I can't speak for Home Minister's absence."

The Bharatiya Janata Party slammed Shinde for his absence from the country in the aftermath of the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh.

Party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said, "At a time when so much of commotion is happening, the gentleman there (Shinde) is on a private trip for past four days when rest of the people from the official trip have come back."

"You can sit on the moon and say we are monitoring everything but that is not what is expected of a person who needs to be on the ground and be in control of the situation," she said, describing the attack as a "national calamity."

Do you agree? Is the home minister being irresponsible? Should he have cut short his trip?